Family Affair
by JrBenson
Summary: What would it be like to be the younger step sister of Kate Kane? What would life be like? How would she cope? AU with some cannon.


What if Kate had a younger step-sister? I've often wondered how she would have handled that as a kid. Especially since she lost her twin sister and mother not too long before. How did she handle her father dating so soon after? And how would this 'relationship' with her step-sister change the both of them? These are things that plague my mind…lol.

**Alternate Universe. Some canon here and there.**

I've also deducted that present day Kate (if my math is correct) is _at least_ 34 years of age. So, I'm gonna go with that. If I'm wrong, please let me know. The comic book says Kate was 12 years old when her mom & sister were kidnapped – but I've changed it for my fanfic. Kate will be 10 years old when all that happened.

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my own imagination. And my laptop. I see Tyler Steelman as _Trevor_.

Chapter 1

**Prologue **

_23 years ago…_

"Kate? Where are you?"

The 11 year old poked her head out from her room. She took off her headset and looked at her father questioningly. Jake motioned for his daughter to come out and join him. Curiously, she did as she was asked only to realize they weren't alone.

Sitting on the couch was a woman and beside her a younger girl. The younger girl bit her lip nervously. She looked to be at least 5 or 6 years old.

Keeping her eyes on the pair, Kate slid next to her father who wrapped an arm around her shoulder. He smiled down at her as he begun introductions.

"Kate, I want you to meet Katherine and Grace Hamilton."

Kate gave a brief smile before she looked back up at her father. He sighed. This was gonna be harder then Jake thought.

"Jake, darling, don't you think Kate would like to play with Gracie for a bit?" Katherine asked, hoping to break some of the tension.

Grace winced at the 'pet' name her mother used. She hated it. She hated it even more when her mother called her that in public. Kate saw Grace's reaction and smirked inwardly.

"Uh…yeah. That would be a good idea," Jake nodded. He then looked at his daughter with eyes that pleaded with her. "Kate, why don't you show Grace some of your stuff," Jake urged Kate. Sighing inwardly, Kate nodded. She moved away from her father and looked at Grace for her to follow.

Grace looked up at her mother with scared eyes. Katherine just smiled and gave her a nod. She gulped down her fear and slid off the couch and followed timidly behind Kate. With one last look, Grace glanced at her mother who just smiled and waved.

Grace wanted to cry but she held it in. She knew it wouldn't look good for her mother. Besides, she didn't want to look like a baby in front of Kate.

"Here's _my_ room with _my_ stuff," Kate said gruffly. She went to the closet and pulled out a container of what appeared to be Lego. She dropped it to the ground in front of Grace's feet.

"Try not loose any pieces," Kate grumbled as she slid to the ground. Grace followed the older girl's action and sat down. She obediently waited for Kate to open the container and spill it's contents out before them.

Each girl took a few pieces and begun to build. After a moment Kate couldn't take the silence anymore.

"So…how old are you?"

Grace was a little surprised that Kate was speaking to her. She had the impression that the red head didn't like her very much.

Swallowing, Grace chewed her lip before she answered.

"6 ½." Kate groaned softly. Grace looked up at the sound, worried that she had done something wrong. When Kate didn't say anything else, Grace looked back down and continued to play silently.

"You have to press hard or else it'll keep falling over," Kate commanded softly when she saw that Grace was having a hard time with the Lego blocks. Grace did as she was told and pressed her tiny fingers as hard as she could. Unfortunately the little blocks were not co-operating.

Sighing loudly Kate just shook her head. "Here, give it to me!" Not waiting for a reply, Kate grabbed the Lego from Grace's hands and fixed the problem. All Grace could do was sit back on her heels and slump slightly. She sucked on her bottom lip fighting to keep the tears at bay.

"Here!" Kate shoved the blocks back into Grace's hands. Quietly, Grace held the toy in her hands and kept her mouth shut keeping her head lowered. It was all she could do not to cry. For Kate, she didn't notice that Grace had stopped playing. She didn't really care.

She didn't care at all…

**BWBWBWBWBWBWBWBW**

_2 ½ years later_

"Hey fart face!" The 9 year old boy called out. His group of friends all laughed. Grace just turned 8 a week ago. She thought she would be a little happier, but she was sadly mistaken. She had a very small handful of people she knew at her birthday party but most of them were the kids from her school. She didn't even _like_ them.

Stopping in her tracks Grace turned around and faced her tormentors.

"At least I have a face. What's your excuse?" Grace shot back. The kids surrounding the boy all gasped with wide eyes. Timothy just narrowed his eyes and charged for Grace.

They both tumble to the ground as a swarm of kids all gathered around them cheering, clapping and chanting. Timothy sat on Grace's stomach and wildly swung his fists at her face. Grace was smart enough to block as much as she could.

Grace used all her strength and rolled them both over and she begun to throw her fists in Timothy's face. A few actually connected. She was about to strike another blow when she felt someone grab her wrist in a tight grip.

All the other kids seemed to grow silent and they all backed up a couple of steps. Grace looked up and saw that it was Kate. The younger girl moaned internally. Kate jerked Grace roughly and the 8 year old toppled over. Timothy shoved Grace off of him ready for another round.

Kate swiftly stepped in front of Grace and shoved the younger boy to the ground. Timothy struggled to get up but Kate's foot on his chest limited his movement.

"I'd stay down if I were you," Kate said menacingly. Timothy ceased his struggle and lay limp on the ground. Kate then swung her gaze at Grace as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Grace could feel her cheeks turn a bright red as all the kids just stared between the two. Kate just shook her head and grabbed Grace by the arm and dragged her none too gently to one end of the playground.

"You're _so_ dead meat when we get home!" Kate growled.

Grace hated Kate at that very moment. She scrunched her face up in anger and shoved the older girl with her free hand as she yanked her other arm from Kate's grip.

"He started it!"

Kate had a good 5 inches on Grace. The little girl stuck her chin out stubbornly as she clenched her tiny fists by her sides. They both glared at each other for what seemed like forever.

"I don't care. You're still gonna get in deep crap when we get home!"

Kate made a grab for Grace's arm but the younger girl yanked her arm away again.

"Come on!" Kate growled. She grabbed Grace's arm and began to walk in the direction of where home was. Grace gave up and let herself be dragged out of the playground.

**BWBWBWBWBWBWBWBW**

"Grace Hamilton!"

Grace hung her head as she stood in front of her mother and Mr. Kane. Her mother had her hands on her hips and Mr. Kane had his arm's crossed. They both looked _very_ upset.

Kate stood next to her – her hands by her side, standing tall like a good little solider. She kept quiet only speaking when spoken to.

"I am so _very_ disappointed in you!" Katherine reprimanded her daughter. "Fighting! Good lord, Gracie…you were fighting! I thought I taught you better then that!"

Grace couldn't take it anymore.

"He started it!" She cried out. Her face was scrunched up in frustration at not being heard. Tears were on the verge of spilling and Grace didn't want to cry in front of everyone. _Especially_ Kate. The older girl already thought that she was a baby.

"Fighting doesn't solve anything, Grace," Mr. Kane said softly. Grace was about to say something snappy but shut her mouth quickly when she saw Kate glare at her. Throwing her hands up, Katherine shook her head and placed a hand on her forehead.

"Mom, he started it! I didn't do anything wrong!" Grace pleaded. It was no use. Her mother held her hand up to silence the protests.

"Gracie, just go to your room please."

"But mo-"

"Grace!" Her mother said sharply. Her voice had risen, startling even Kate. She pointed in the direction of the stairs and glared at her daughter. Hanging her head in defeat, Grace turned and slowly made her way to the stairs. Kate just watched as Grace climbed the big staircase to her room.

Kate was sure the little girl had tears in her eyes. Kate felt a slight pang of guilt. Katherine and Jake sighed. Katherine shook her head as she left the room mumbling to herself about headaches, parties and little girls.

"Dad," Kate said softly. Jake turned around and waited as his daughter came up to him. "She really didn't do anything wrong, dad. It wasn't her fault." Smiling softly, Jake got down to eye level with Kate.

"This kid, Timothy I think, tackled her and started punching her face. She had to fight back, dad," Kate said, hoping her dad would understand. Nodding, Jake just kissed Kate's forehead.

"Thank you sweetie. I appreciate you telling me." Jake straightened himself up and was about to follow Katherine into the next room.

"She's still gonna be trouble?" Kate asked, concern lacing her words. Jake smiled sadly and nodded.

"Katherine and I will have to discuss it."

"Tell her that it wasn't her fault. She _had_ to fight," Kate pleaded. Jake studied his only daughter for a moment then slowly nodded.

"Alright. I'll mention it. Thank you."

And with that Jake turned and walked away. Kate chewed her lower lip. She wondered if she should have spoken up earlier when Grace was getting yelled at. She remembered what her mother used to say, _"…it's about honesty, honour and integrity…"_

Kate nodded to herself and decided to check up on Grace just to make sure she was ok.

**BWBWBWBWBWBWBWBW**

The light knock had Grace sitting up straighter in bed. Her mother would usually come and give her a lecture about whatever it was she did wrong then proceed to tell her to get dressed for some sort of stupid party.

What surprised her was that it wasn't her mother standing at the door. It was Kate. Grace felt her frown deepen as her shoulders slumped.

"What do ya want?" Grace asked suspiciously. She hadn't moved to let Kate in. She was still upset. Kate expected this. And she really couldn't blame the kid either.

"I just wanted to make sure you were ok," Kate replied softly. She waited and Grace sighed and stepped aside to let Kate in. Kate went farther into Grace's room and stopped in the middle of the room. When she looked at the little girl, she had a scowl on her face.

"Why do you care?" Grace asked with a bit of an attitude. Kate shoved her hands into her pockets while Grace crossed her arms over her chest. Kate sighed. She knew she deserved it.

"Because…look, I'm sorry about what happened with your mom." Grace still said nothing but continued to glare at the red head. Shrugging in defeat, Kate made her way back to the door. She stopped then turned around.

"For what it's worth, he deserved what he got," Kate said softly before she slipped out of Grace's room. Grace wasn't sure if she heard correctly – _did Kate actually give her a complement?_ There wasn't much time to dwell on it when she heard her mother's voice at the door.

Grace sighed and braced herself.

**BWBWBWBWBWBWBWBW**

_5 years later_

Grace was starting junior high. She had begged her mother to let her go to a regular public school. Her mother thought she had lost her mind but agreed nonetheless.

"_Stay out of trouble Gracie."_ Her mother would say. Grace rolled her eyes and sighed. She was 13 years old for god sakes and quite capable of taking care of herself. Granted, over the years she found herself in some hairy situations.

Fighting was always at the top of her list. She almost got kicked out of 7th grade because she just couldn't keep out of trouble. But for some reason, her mother didn't find out. Grace could never figure out who had covered for her.

Then there was Kate. She had been acting weird for a long time – pretending to hate her guts one minute then always jumping in to help the next minute. Grace just couldn't figure her out.

"Grace, you're going to be late!" The housekeeper hollered from downstairs. Her mother was away on a trip and couldn't see her daughter off on her first day of school. And Jake was on a 'mission'.

"What did you expect?" Grace muttered under her breath. She quickly grabbed her backpack and ran out of her room.

"Coming Elsa!" Grace smiled brightly at the portly old woman. The housekeeper was more of a mother to her then Katherine Hamilton was. Grace hugged Elsa as the woman smoothed out the girl's hair.

"Now, I've made you your lunch. It's your favourite – and here is some money for snack," Elsa said handing Grace a brown paper bag then some cash. Grace's eyes widened.

"Elsa! I can't take that!" But the old woman wouldn't hear of it. She slipped it in the girl's hand and guided her to the front door.

"Don't be silly. If you are hungry for snack you have money, if no hungry then you save for tomorrow, yes?"

Elsa placed a motherly kiss on Grace's head and wished her a good day. Grace slipped on her backpack and waved a goodbye as she got into the car. Kate came thundering down the steps a few moments later.

"Thanks Elsa!" The 17 year old hollered as she gave a quick hug to the woman.

Just as Kate was about to turn to leave, Elsa grabbed Kate's arms. Kate looked back and waited.

"You take care of little Grace. She is tiny. Don't let her get hurt," Elsa whispered softly, her accent thick. Kate sighed but nodded.

"I'll do my best." And with a wave, Kate climbed into the car and buckled up.

"Do up your belt," she demanded. Grace just glared and ignored the older girl. Kate pursed her lips then lightly punched Grace in the arm. "I said do it," Kate growled. Grace sighed and made a show of buckling her seat belt.

The driver just looked in the rear view mirror and glanced at the two girls. He shook his head slightly in amusement. They tried so hard not to be a like but if they looked close, they would see just how similar they were…

**BWBWBWBWBWBWBWBW**

_4 ½ years later_

Vicious laughter could be heard through the halls. Grace ignored each and every one of them and continued to head for her class. 17 year old Grace was only a year away from graduating and soon she would be far from her tormentors.

"Just one more year…," Grace repeated under her breath. Stepping into her history class, she took her seat and slouched and waited for the class to begin. She threw her hood over her head and slipped on her head set, music blaring from them. Within minuets the other students sauntered in.

The teacher walked in and everyone quieted down, save for some snickering in the back. The teacher cleared her throat and glared at them from the top of her glasses. She then tapped Grace's desk to get her attention.

Grace scowled, at first, but then quickly blushed when she realized who it was. Sitting up Grace slipped her headset off.

"Sorry Miss," Grace mumbled. The teacher smiled then turned and went to the chalkboard. She wrote in big letters: POP QUIZ. Everyone moaned except for Grace. She smiled. She loved pop quizzes.

"Settle down! It won't be any trouble if you actually paid attention," Ms. Devon said, as she pointedly looked over to the back of the class. She smirked to herself as she begun handing out the tests.

"You've got the entire class to do it. Please use that time wisely. And no, it's not open book." She looked at her watch then back at her students before she sat at her desk. She took out some of last weeks assignments and begun to grade them, occasionally glancing up around the class.

Ms. Devon's gaze landed on Grace. She watched the young woman glance at a question before quickly jotting down her answer. She could see so much potential in the teenager. Grace did exceptionally well in all of her classes, especially history. But it seemed to Ms. Devon that Grace Hamilton did everything she could to just blend in with the crowd; never wanting to stand out. Granted, half of the students in the school seemed to target the girl for whatever reason.

And Grace would never say a thing nor did she seem to have anyone standing up for her. No friends. A loner. And that worried her. She did, however, notice that when another student would be picked on or bullied, Grace would be the only one to step in. And in turn, Grace would be the one to be dragged into the office.

The principle labelled the girl as a trouble maker. But to be honest, Ms. Devon just couldn't see it. If Ms. Devon were truly honest, Grace Hamilton was very much her favourite student. But that was something that should be left unsaid.

Shaking her head, Ms. Devon tried to concentrate but it was no use. She pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. She was so lost in thought that she didn't see Grace standing in front of her desk.

"Miss? You ok?" Grace asked quietly, concern written all over her face. Blinking in surprise, Ms. Devon looked down at her watch then back up.

"This is a record for you, isn't it? 15 minutes?" Ms. Devon smiled softly. She accepted the paper as she asked, "you don't want to look it over first?" She knew the answer but had to ask anyways.

Grace smiled confidently. It made the girl look so much younger. She shook her head.

"Nah, I'm good." Ms. Devon chuckled as she laid the paper face down on her desk.

"Suit yourself. You can go, but I would suggest you go straight to the library," Ms. Devon said softly. Grace just stared at her teacher, sizing her up. Ms. Devon was one of those teachers's that cared and was good at what she did. Deciding that Ms. Devon only wanted to keep her out of trouble, Grace nodded.

"Ok. Thanks."

And with that, Grace picked up her backpack and books and quietly slipped out of class. Picking up the test and her red pen, Ms. Devon smiled to herself.

_Why do I even bother? She always get's them right…_Ms. Devon thought as she corrected Grace's test. She just wished the rest of her students were as studious.

**BWBWBWBWBWBWBWBW**

Grace threw her backpack into her locker and grabbed whatever she needed before slamming her locker shut. She wandered down the quiet and empty halls to the library. She was about to slip her headphone's on when she heard a muffled sound coming from inside one of the lockers.

Walking carefully up to the locker she placed a hand on it before speaking quietly.

"You ok in there?" Grace heard shuffling feet from inside before she heard a voice.

"_Not really. I'm getting claustrophobic in here…get me out…please…"_ The voice sounded small and frightened. Sighing, Grace reached into her back pocket and took out her lock pick.

"Gimmie a second. I'll get you out in a minute." Grace quickly looked around before she got to work on the lock. It took her less then a couple of seconds before she heard the familiar click then another second to feel the latch give way.

Stepping back as she opened the door, Grace gave the 9th grader a once over. The kid stumbled out and mumbled a timid thank you before he grabbed his backpack. It fell open and the young boy wasn't fast enough.

His note books and text books all fell to the floor. Groaning inwardly, Grace fell to a knee as she helped the boy gather his books and shoved them into his bag.

"I'm sorry," the boy mumbled. His cheeks were bright red with embarrassment.

"Christ," Grace hissed under her breath. She looked at the kid, "get it together, damn it! Unless you want to get shoved back in that locker," Grace growled as she motioned her head in the opposite direction.

The boy looked over his shoulder, eyes wide. A group of older kids had stumbled out of class and were creating a ruckus. It was the same group of kids that had shoved him in the locker.

"You gotta name?" Grace asked under her breath. The boy nodded quickly as he held his bag to his chest. Rolling her eyes Grace just bit her tongue to keep from snapping at him.

"Well, what the hell is it?" Grace demanded. The group was getting closer.

"Tre…Trevor…," the boy squealed. Pursing her lips together and shoving the kid behind her, Grace braced herself for impact as the rowdy group of kids gathered in front of her.

"Awww…look, Gracie made a new friend!" The leader said with a smirk on her face. Grace stared back, unfazed. Sighing dramatically, Grace folded her hands in front of her and smiled sweetly.

"Why don't you shut up and give that whole in your face a chance to heal," Grace said calmly. Carmen's smirk faltered just a little bit.

"What are you, four?" Carmen shot back. Grace just raised her hands and clapped unenthusiastically.

"Wow, you learned a new number. It's surprising what a math teacher's cock can do for you. I bet your mama is very proud of you," Grace spat.

Clenching her jaw, Carmen stepped into Grace's personal space.

"I'd watch out if I were you," the blonde said threateningly.

"I'd get out of my space if _I were you_," Grace retorted. Carmen slinked back, a grin growing on her face.

"You heard that? I think she just threatened me," Carmen said to her group of friends. Grace smirked.

"I don't _'think'_. I _'do'_."

Just then the bell rang. Students begun to file out of the class rooms completely oblivious of what just happened. Grace turned and grabbed Trevor by the arm and dragged him down the hall.

Carmen was left standing there. She was going to take that bitch down. One way or the other.

**BWBWBWBWBWBWBWBW**

Grace sighed and closed her eyes. Trevor mumbled his apology.

"Seriously? You're gonna hide behind me all day?" Grace asked, her frustration growing. Trevor shook his head.

"Not all day…the rest of my life maybe…" the boy said lamely.

"I'm not your freakin bodyguard!" Grace bellowed. She had her own problems – she didn't need to add his to the mix.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Trevor threw his hands up in surrender. "Look…can't I just stay with you until the end of study period? You won't know I'm here," the boy pleaded.

Groaning, Grace threw a hand to her face.

"I just…I just don't like getting thrown into lockers and getting my head dunked in a toilet every day. Just today…that's all…please?" Trevor pleaded quietly. Grace looked at him for a moment. He was awkward looking which made him a huge target in this school. Grace knew exactly what that was like.

Sighing loudly, Grace ran a hand through her hair.

"I'm gonna regret this," she mumbled to herself. "Fine! Just stay out of my way! Meet me at my locker after classes. And quit apologizing!" Grace demanded as she wrote down her locker number.

Trevor's face lit up like a fire cracker. Jumping up from his seat, Trevor threw a salute as he stumbled momentarily.

"Thanks! You won't regret this!" He ran out of the library almost tripping over his feet. Pinching the bridge of her nose, Grace closed her eyes once more.

"Trust me…I'm regretting already…"

**BWBWBWBWBWBWBWBW**

_2 weeks later_

"Dude I'm serious. A white/green combo is the ultimate pair up," Trevor said excitedly. Grace and Trevor formed an unlikely friendship. They both discovered that they had more in common then they had expected.

"If you've got a Fog and an Abundant Growth, you can rule your opponents!" Trevor continued as he and Grace weaved in and out of the crowed. Grace smiled and shook her head.

"Is that why you've been losing to me the last 3 times we've played _Magic_?" Grace didn't want to admit it, but she did enjoy the kid's company.

They stopped at their lockers. Trevor had requested that he be moved next to Grace's just so he wouldn't have to travel the halls alone after classes.

"Minor set back," Trevor retorted playfully. The two shoved their books into their lockers and grabbed another and slammed it shut.

"I'm telling you, go with black/blue. You can't go wrong there," Grace suggested. Trevor huffed as he and Grace headed for their classes.

"See you in 40, dude!" Trevor waved and entered his chemistry class. Waving as she went, Grace headed for her trigonometry class.

20 minutes into the class, the student secretary wandered into the class and gave the teacher a note. He nodded and looked towards Grace.

He folded up the note and excused the young secretary as he made his way to Grace. He passed her the note and walked back up to the chalk board, continuing his lesson.

Grace sighed and unfolded the note and almost groaned out loud.

_Kate is back in town. She will be picking you up after school._

_-Mom_

Crumpling up the note, Grace rubbed her forehead in frustration. _Fantastic,_ Grace thought bitterly. She shook her head as the teacher begun to speak. She took out her note book and pencil and got ready to make notes.

**BWBWBWBWBWBWBWBW**

Grace trudged out of the classroom. She hefted her backpack higher onto her shoulder when she bumped into several other students.

"Watch it!"

"How about using your eyeballs moron!" Grace shot back. She turned away just as she heard the group mumble as she was leaving, "Freak."

Grace ignored them and continued on to her locker.

"Hey! Hope trig didn't completely ruin your brain," Trevor said teasingly. Grace just gave him a look and opened up her locker.

"Change of plans, man. My…mom's fiancés daughter is back in town. She's gonna pick me up after school."

Trevor looked a little freaked out since this meant he would be walking home alone.

"Um…sure. That's cool," the boy said trying to sound ok with the news. Grace felt for him.

"Let me see if I can ask her to give you a ride, ok?" Trevor nodded but still looked a little uneasy. Grace just grinned and shook her head.

"Come on…let's grab some lunch and I will kick your ass in _Magic_ again."

This seemed to put a little spark in Trevor's eyes.

"Ha! That'll be the day!" Trevor snorted playfully. The pair headed for the cafeteria both laughing and teasing each other along the way. They made plans to meet up at Grace's place later that evening.

**BWBWBWBWBWBWBWBW**

As the day wore on, Grace was slowly getting herself into a bad mood. Her last class finally ended and she made her way to her locker. She glanced down the hall and noticed Trevor quickly making his way to her.

She shook her head and opened her locker. A split second later she felt a gooey liquid hit her face and she stumbled back slightly. The kids in the hall paused then murmured among them selves. She heard a few snickers behind her back.

Grace just shut her eyes trying to calm herself. She felt Trevor sidle up next to her but he didn't open his locker.

"You ok dude?" he asked quietly. Grace didn't get a chance to answer when she heard Carmen and her little gang of groupies amble by, laughing.

"Oh no. Who could have done such a terrible thing?" Carmen said out loud in mock sincerity. Her group laughed viciously. Clenching her jaw, Grace slammed her locker shut and turned slowly and faced Carmen.

"Bitch," Grace growled. She clenched and unclenched her fists as she stood there. Carmen threw her hand to her chest and pouted.

"Ouch. That hurt," Carmen replied mockingly. Her smirk slipped as her face hardened. "You're gonna have to do a lot better then that to try and hurt me. I own you _bitch_. I own this fucking school. Don't you _dare_ forget that," Carmen spat as she poked her finger into Grace's chest.

Grace finally had enough. The logical part of her brain told her to just walk away but it was no use – she grabbed Carmen by the front of her blouse and threw her to the ground. The girl screeched as Grace pulled back her hand, ready to finally put an end to her tormenter.

_Meanwhile…_

Kate walked next to her old principle. They were chatting about what Kate was up to since she had graduated. Kate politely filled in her former principle about her father's upcoming wedding to Grace's mother when all hell broke loose.

"Excuse me," Principle Scanlon said as she headed for the ever growing crowd. Kate followed right behind her, wanting to see what all the fuss was.

There was a large throng of students gathering in the hallway. Some were cheering while others were snapping pictures and videos on their phones.

Principle Scanlon weaved her way around various students and glared at faculty members as they stood and watched.

Ms. Devon had run out of her class room to see what all the commotion was about and gasped. Trevor and Ms. Devon both launched themselves in between the two girls and shoved Grace off of the blonde just as the principle broke through the crowd.

"ENOUGH! What is the meaning of this?" The principle bellowed. Everyone grew quiet and desperately tired to get away. Ms. Devon had held on to Grace as the girl struggled to break free and Trevor was doing his best to keep his friend from attacking again.

"Fantastic. You were all screaming at the top of your lungs just a second ago. Now nothing?" The principle glared at her teachers. Kate moved forward and helped Carmen up when the teenager pushed her hand aside. Kate just stepped back and raised her hands up.

"I wanna press charges! She attacked me!" The blonde screamed. Kate looked sharply at Grace who was restrained by the teacher. She caught Graces' eye and glared at the girl. Grace glared right back.

"Go ahead bitch! My mom will burry you in legal fee's for the rest of your life!" Grace spat. Principle held her hands up signalling for them to be quiet.

"ENOUGH!" Turning to Ms. Devon, Principle Scanlon sighed heavily as she asked, "What exactly happened?" Principle Scanlon felt so very tired of this.

"I'm not sure. I just came running out when I heard the screams."

Then turning to the crowd that was still there Principle asked if there were any witnesses. No one moved. Carmen turned and gave Grace a smirk. Ms. Devon had to hold on tighter when Grace tried to lunge for the other girl.

When no one came forward, Principle waved her hands towards the mob.

"That's it. Everyone disperse! If I see anyone lingering in the halls, you will be getting detention. MOVE IT!" Everyone moved in different directions as the students ran for their lockers while the teachers just slunk back into their classrooms.

Then turning to the two teens she placed her hands on her hips and shot daggers from her eyes.

"You two, in my office. NOW! Anything to say Trevor?" When the boy looked a little frightened, Ms. Devon placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"I can speak with him, Principle Scanlon," the teacher offered. Principle Scanlon sighed and nodded.

"I'm sorry for this Ms. Kane. It will on be a second. You can have a seat in the reception area. If you'll excuse me?" And with that, the principle turned on her heel and stalked off to her office. Kate looked back at the teacher and Trevor before she followed the principle back to her office.

**BWBWBWBWBWBWBWBW**

30 minutes had passed and Kate was still listening to the muffled sounds of Principle Scanlon. The secretary looked up from her desk and gave Kate an apologetic smile.

"_What the hell were you both thinking? I've had enough of you Grace! You might want to wipe the smirk off your face Carmen. You're in hot water young lady!"_

A few moments later, the door was yanked open as Grace materialized first. Her face was red as she slung her backpack onto her shoulder. Kate got up and stood next to Grace.

Principle Scanlon emerged with Carmen, holding her by the upper arm.

"I will see you both in detention for the next month. You're lucky I'm not suspending either of you! Go to the bathroom and get yourself cleaned up, Grace."

The teen scowled and turned to leave. Kate glared at Carmen when she heard the girl snicker. Kate quickly caught up with Grace just as she was entering the washroom.

"Grace," Kate said softly. She felt bad for her. Grace jerked away from the older girl and threw her backpack against the wall as she turned on the faucet.

Scrubbing as much as she could, it seemed the green tint wasn't going to be wiped away easily. Kate grabbed a bunch of tissues from the dispenser and tried to help but Grace just shoved her hand away.

"Fuck off!" Grace barked. Kate froze but didn't say a thing. She just silently handed the girl the tissues and waited patiently.

After 10 minutes of scrubbing, Grace whipped the wad of tissue into the trash can then proceeded to kick the object mercilessly. Kate just watched helplessly as Grace continued to take her frustrations out on the trash can.

A few moments later, Grace let out a tired cry. With one final kick she stumbled against the wall breathing heavily while she rested her hands on her knees. It was only then that Kate finally moved.

Grace glanced up from her position and waited for the rant that she knew was coming. Instead Kate placed a gentle hand on Grace's shoulder.

"C'mon. The sooner we get outta here, the sooner I can help get that off your face before _they _see you," the redhead said quietly. She jerked her head towards the door and waited as Grace sized her up then slowly nodded her head.

Grace grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder. They didn't say anything when they left the washroom nor did they speak when they walked down the halls. By mutual agreement, they didn't say anything to each other in the car.

Kate parked her car in the private drive way in front of the pool house she was currently staying in. She cut the engine and turned to Grace.

"Go straight to the bathroom. Soak a face towel in the sink; I'll be there in a second. I have some stuff that can help get that dye off before it becomes a bigger problem," Kate directed as she handed the keys over to Grace.

The young girl looked slightly surprised but kept quiet. She took the keys and slipped out of the car and headed inside as she was told. Kate waited for Grace to disappear before she got out of the car. As she rounded the car, the elder Katherine came rushing out of the main house. Kate groaned internally.

"Where is she!?" Katherine demanded. Her face was flushed and she looked very upset. Kate held her hands up as she tried to ward off Katherine.

"She's inside;" Kate jerked her head towards the pool house but quickly added, "don't go in there." Katherine was about to speak when Kate answered her first. "She's…it's been a rough day for her. I'll talk to her."

Jake hearing the commotion went outside. He wiped his hands on his greased up jeans and smiled at his daughter.

"Jake, the principle called me. _Again_," Katherine informed him. He sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Alright. I'll talk to her. Where is she?" Jake said tiredly. Kate shook her head.

"She's with me. But dad…let me try talking to her first," Kate offered gently. Jake studied his daughter for a second before he nodded.

"Alright. We'll see you in a bit. Katherine, I think the floral people are here. I'm pretty sure they've got the floral arrangements wrong…"

Jake gently guided his soon to be wife in the direction of the floral van. Katherine knew what they were doing and sighed. She glanced over her shoulder and made eye contact with Kate, sending her a silent message.

The redhead let out a puff of air and ran a hand through her shoulder length hair. This was going to be tricky…

**BWBWBWBWBWBWBWBW**

Grace sat on the edge of the tub waiting for Kate. She didn't know what Kate was going to do to her. She knew she was in deep trouble, probably the final straw, in her mother's eyes. Grace just slumped her shoulders and buried her hands in her hair.

Kate quietly walked into the pool house where she had been staying since being discharged from the Academy. She went to the cupboard and took out a bottle of liquid and headed for the bathroom. What greeted her made her stop in her tracks.

Kate took a moment to watch the girl without her knowledge. From where Kate stood, Grace looked very much like the little girl she used to be – scared and defeated. Kate felt her heart break at the sight. It seemed like no one wanted to give the young girl a chance.

Kate shook her head and squared her shoulders. She cleared her throat giving Grace the chance to compose herself a bit before Kate walked in. Grace looked up sharply. She watched as Kate set the bottle down and sat down next to her.

Giving Grace a small smile, Kate gently took Grace's chin and turned her face around so she could examine the damage.

"Shouldn't be too bad," Kate said lightly trying to lighten the mood. Grace just sat silently and waited.

Kate dabbed the wet face cloth into the liquid she had brought in with her. Grace sniffed the liquidly substance and scrunched her nose.

"What _is_ that?"

Kate just smiled. "Acetone," was all she said. She then proceeded to clean away the dye from Grace's face and neck with a gentleness that even surprised the young girl. About 10 minutes later Kate finally sat up.

"Take a look," Kate suggested as she stood and capped the bottle up. Grace examined Kate's handy work and was impressed. Her face and neck were wiped clean. The young girl looked around and found Kate in the kitchenette putting away the bottle.

Moving farther into the living room, Grace fiddled with the ends of her shirt. She cleared her throat awkwardly, catching Kate's attention.

"Um…thanks," Grace mumbled. Kate just nodded.

"You better steer clear of your mom for a few hours," Kate offered quietly. Grace copied Kate and nodded silently.

They stood in awkward silence for a few minutes. Kate had about enough of it and spoke up.

"Look, our parents are going to get married whether we like it or not. So…we can try to get along or not. Your choice."

Grace thought for a moment then nodded slowly.

"Good. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get ready for…_company_," Kate said as she pushed herself off of the counter. Grace nodded and quickly grabbed her backpack and bee lined for the door.

Grace knew what kind of _company_ Kate kept. She also knew it meant Kate would be halfway drunk before the night was through. Which would mean her mom and Mr. Kane would have to look after her through the night.

Grace shook her head as she made her way through the drive way and into the big house. Kate had it all – a father that accepted her, a stepmother that gave Kate everything and all the money she could dream of and yet the redhead insisted on pissing it all away.

Her own damn mother over looked all the drunken nights and long line of woman that Kate brought home. Kate was little Miss perfect while Grace tried so hard not to screw up.

Making her way to her room, Grace tossed her bag to the ground then fell onto her bed. She stared at the celling as she tucked her hands under her head.

"This bites," she murmured. A minute later her cell phone rang. She reached out and searched in her bag for it. Recognizing the number, Grace groaned inwardly.

"Yeah," Grace answered reluctantly.

"_You still alive?"_

Despite her sour mood, Grace laughed at that.

"Fuck you Trev," Grace said good-naturedly. The young boy laughed along.

"_How'd it go with your mom?"_ Trevor asked cautiously. Grace let out a puff of air before answering.

"It hasn't _gone_ anywhere…yet. Kate got most of that crap of my face," Grace replied unwilling to admit the older girl actually helped.

"_At least you can get busted now without looking like the Blob,"_ Trevor added. Grace rolled her eyes.

"Again, fuck you Trev," Grace shot back. Trevor just laughed. Grace heard footsteps outside her room. "I gotta go."

"_May the force-"_

"Shut up ass wipe!" Grace shut her phone off as Trevor continued to laugh. She heard a knock on the door and Grace moaned softly.

Taking a breath, Grace opened her door and stood back. Both Mr. Kane and her mother walked in. She was in deep crap now…

.


End file.
